Animated sign



Dec. 9, 1930.

E. VON DER LlPPE-LlPSKl ANIMATED SIGN Filed March 22, 1930 gwuentoz Patented Dec. 9, 1930 I e 2 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE ELAINE VON DER LIPPE-LIPSKI, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ANIMATED SIGN Application filed March 22, 1930. Serial No. 438,072.

My invention is an improvement in change- Fig. 5 is a similar view looking at the oppoable sign exhibitors of that particular type site side of the rocking member, and having rotatable bars triangular in cross sec- F 1g. 6 1s a diagrammatic view illustrating tion to provide media faces which are succesa modification in the arrangement of the op- 5 sively brought into coplanar position at the crating belts.

front of the sign for changing the character In carrying out my invention the bars coniof the sign or picture. posing the sign-board are mounted in a reo- The primary object of my invention is to tangular frame 10 between the side pieces provide a changeable sign of this general thereof, and as the bars extending across the 10 type in which a multiplicity-of rotatable bars signboard are in the present instance divided 60 of various widths are provided and turned ininto independent rotatable units or sections dividually so that one or more parts of the 11 they are mounted on rods 12, each bar or picture may be changed, as for instance to unit preferably having a bearing sleeve 13, animate a figure depicted thereon, the present as shown in Fig. 2. Each triangular shaped 15 invention being an improvement on the arbar or unit A (Figs. 4 and 5) presents three 65 rangement shown and described in my prior media faces (a, a, and a on each of which a application for patent filed October 24,1929, portion of a sign is painted or depicted so Serial No. 402,281. that the turning of the individual bars or In the present instance I provide for 0punits will bring the different media faces erating the individual units comprising the .thefeef in coplanar relation to effect, a change signboard so that said units may be t rn d in in the picture, it being understood that the both directions instead of only onedirection units may be arranged in series or groups to as prov d for in my a esai pp change certain portions of the pictures only, n the turning of the units in b0 l3l1 CllIBctlOIlS and that in the present instance said units Permitting of a greater Change 111 the Plcture are adapted to be turned in both directions to ll'lfiSll'lllCll fi-S certain 01 till? units bring either one 1 the thgr media faces t0 b Operated in 0119' direction and the than the one exposed to position for changch'anges reversed. ing the character of the picture.

with s prlnclpal l 1n P The bars or units are each provided at one ent invention contemplates the pr0vision of d th f ith short pins 14 engaged by so Operating mechanism actuatlng the Pawls pawls 15, and so that the movement of said WVl'llC/h turn triangula-rly shaped bars 01' pawls in pposite directions impart simiunits: p i ei rocklnamembers actuated lar movements to the bars or units to bring in PP dlrectlon y Sultabl? means; either one of the unexposed media faces to 35 mstance y endless belts f l Prolectmg front position the pawl is provided with S5 P1115 adapted to engage 2 Tockmg m hooks 16 and 17 spaced apartto correspond bers alla s hereinafter particularly described with th Spacing f th in 14 f engaged speclficauy Set forth 1n the app ment with said pins, whereby when the pawl I a Olfllmsg is pulled rearwardly the lower unexposed In the d ng media face of the bar will be vbrought to ex- 2 Figure l is a front elev i n f a change posure position and when said pawl ispushed able Sign exhibitor constructed in accordance forwardly the upper unexposed media face of with my present invention. said bar will be brought into exposure posi- Fig. 2 is a rear view of the signboard, showtion. For operating the pawl or pawls I proingthe mechanism for operating the individvide a rocking member in the form of a wheel ual units. v 18 to which the pawl is pivoted, said wheel Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2. being mounted on a shaft 19 and provided at Fig. 4 is an enlargeddetail view illustratopposite sides thereof with projecting pins ing'the devices for turning the triangular 20 and 21 by which 1t is operated, and for shaped bars or units. operating the wheel in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4 pins 22 projecting from an endless belt 23 directly engage the pin 20, v while for operating said wheel inthe oppooutwardly projecting pin 25 adapted to be 7 engaged by pins 26 on the belt. It will be understood that the pins 22 on the belt which engage pin'20 are out of line with the pins26 operating the bell-crank lever, and that each series of pins are spaced so as to impart the desiredturning movements to the tr angular shaped bars or units; consequently said bars a or units may be rotated in one direction for several turns to bring the media faces succes- 'sively to exposed position at the front of the sign or alternately in opposite directions for reversing the exposures to thereby produce a more effective changeable sign or picture than with an arrangement which provides for turning the bars or units in one direction only.

a As shown in 2 of the drawings several operating belts 23 mounted on a roller 27 common to all may be employed so that one ormore may be replaced when it is desired to 1 change the actions of a picture on the sign,

the spacing of the two series of pins 22 and 26 on the belt or belts controllingthe rota? tion of the bars or units they operate;- How i ever, as shown in Fig. (ivertical and horizontal belts maybe employed, the horizon tal belt 28 passing over rollers 29 at opposite ends thereof having pins which operate the wheelslS in the same manneras the ver- 7 7 tical beltshereinbefore described, in thislinstance the vertical belts 30 being mounted above said horizontal belt to operate certain of the bars and of course similar vertical belts may be located below the horizontal beltQOne or-more horizontal belts may be employed in the construction of the sign and may be operated at different speeds with ref erence tothe vertical belts, saidrhorizontal "of'those effected by the verticalbeltsl The companion seriesof outwardly projecting pins on the belts are spaced apart approximatlng the thickness of the. operating wheels carrying the pins at opposite sides thereoffor the direct engagement of one set of pins at one side ofthe wheel and engagement of the other set of pins at the other side Ofithg wheel',-and

: of course the operating wheels which are actuated by the vertical belts are disposed vertically while those operated by the horizontal V belts are horizontal. The belts may be operated'from anysuitable power, as electric mo- ,ingf rotatable iprojecti'ng from said belt.

tors with driving gear connected to pulleys on the rollers which operate endless belts.

In constructing anranii'nated sign in accordance with m invention the number and size of the individual rotatable units will of course depend upon the number of figures or other objects in the picturev that are to be changed forthe purpose of depicting action,

and it will be obvious that in providing for reversing the rotation of the bars or units motion will be repeated forward and back ward in eregular order, as for instance the movement of the arms or legs of a human be1ng,etc.; thereby producing a changeable sign exhibitor of this general type which will be effective and pleasing to attract attention.

I claim l 1. A changeable sign exhibitorcomprising rotatable bars or units having a" plurality of media faces adaptedto be brought successively into coplanar relation with respect to I d front ofthe sign, pins projecting from the ends of the bars or units and corresponding in number to the media faces and in spaced I relation thereto, means engagingthe pins for rotating the bars or units in one direction,

and means engagin the pins for reversing the rotation of said ars or units.

2; {changeable-sign exhibitor compris-v ing rotatable bars or-units havingaplurality of media faces adapted to be brought successively into coplanar relation with revspectto the front of the sign, pins projectera'ting the pawlsincluding an endless belt. 3. A changgeable sign exhibitor comprisars or unit'shaving aplurality of media faces adapted to be brought, sucsessively into coplanar relation with respect frothe front of the sign, pinsprojecting from the ends of the'bars or units andc'orresponding in number and spaced apart withfrela- 'tion to the media faces, pawls having opposinghooks engaging the projectingspins on belt or belts serving to efi'eet changes across like bars unlts$'means for Operating the the' picturein representingmotions or actions of objects in the picture independently pa-wls including an endless. belt pins on the bars or units, and means for opand. pins 4.:'=A2changeable,sign, exhibitor compr is- I ingrotatable bars or units having a plurality of mediafaces adaptedv to be, brought: success vely,lntorcoplanar relation with respect to-the front of the sign, pins projecting from the endsof the bars orunits and corresponding ininu nberand spaced apartwith'i'ela- H tion'to the media faces, pawls having oppos ing hooks engaging the projecting; pins on the bars or units, wheels towhich thevpawls are pivoted for operation thereof, and an V endless belt-carrying means for operating the wheels,

5. A changeable sign exhibitor comprising rotatable bars or units having a plurality of media faces adapted to be brought successively into coplanar relation with respect to the front of the sign, pins projecting from the ends of the bars or units and corresponding in number and spaced apart with relation to the media faces, pawls having opp0sing hooks engaging the projecting pins on the bars or units, wheels to which the pawls are pivoted for operation thereof, pins projecting from said Wheels, an endless belt, and meansoperated by said endless belt for moving the pawls in either direction.

6. A changeable sign exhibitor comp-rising rotatable bars or units having a plurality of media faces adapted to be brought successively into coplanar relation with respect to the front of the sign, pins projecting from the ends of the bars or units and corresponding in number and spaced apart with relation to the media faces, pawls having opposing hooks engaging the projecting pins on the bars or units, wheels to which the pawls are pivoted for operation thereof, pins pro jecting from opposite sides of said wheels, an endless belt having projecting pins engaging the pins on one side of said wheels, bell-crank levers engaging the pins on the other side of the wheels, and pins on the belts engaging the bell-crank levers for operating the same.

ELAINE VON DER LIPPE-LIPSKI. 

